North Carolina Dan Morgan, the general manager of the New Carolina Panthers, has made every effort to steer clear of parallels with his predecessor. One explanation is because he and Scott Fitterer are still very close friends. Another is that, as Fitterer’s right-hand man, he participated in the decisions that resulted in a shift.
The recent extension that Brandt Tilis, executive vice president of football operations, and Morgan obtained for 2020 first-round choice Derrick Brown is an excellent place to start.
DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey, first-round selections in 2017 and 2018, were traded by Fitterer. With regard to 2019 first-round pick Brian Burns, he was unable to reach an agreement last year, and he declined two first-round selections in 2022 for the edge rusher.
Fitterer’s firing was influenced by all of that, which forced Morgan to make the difficult choice to trade Burns to the New York Giants this offseason in exchange for second- and fifth-round picks.
Therefore, extending Brown was essential to Morgan’s efforts to develop a squad and culture around draft picks, as most successful teams do, as the Panthers are doing.were built when Morgan went from a first-round pick in 2001 to a member of a 2003 team that reached the Super Bowl.
Brown’s recent extension with the team, worth $96 million over four years with $63 million guaranteed, shows the organization’s commitment to retaining their own players. Despite his excitement about the deal and plans to use some of the money to build a pool, Brown remains cautious about the team’s direction, especially following the trade of his close friend Burns. He expresses optimism about the defensive additions and potential improvements but prefers to wait until they hit the field before making any bold predictions. The team’s defensive coordinator also highlights the talented group they have and the quality of football discussions among the players. Brown’s long-term contract is seen as significant for Carolina, as he had an impressive season in 2023 and is fulfilling the expectations set since his college days at Auburn.
